Container closure construction

ABSTRACT

A container closure construction wherein a closure flange having an upstanding internally threaded cylindrical neck surrounded by a laterally extending polygonal base is mechanically inserted by means of a punch press operation within a container wall opening from the under surface thereof. A tag ring element is in the same operation secured about the exterior surface of an upwardly drawn neck surrounding the container wall opening. An outward curling of the uppermost end of the flange neck serves to tightly clamp the upwardly drawn container wall opening neck between the flange and the tag ring element.

United States Patent [191 .lesevich et al.

[ Feb. 4, 1975 CONTAINER CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION [73] Assignee: American Flange & Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Oct. 25, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 409,389

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 131,258, April 5, 197i, Pat. No.

[52 US. CL... zzo z i,226/28818'57261 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,004,997 6/1935 McCafe 220/39 A 2,035,l98 3/1936 Schmitz et al. 220/39 A Primary Examiner-George T. Hall [57] ABSTRACT A container closure construction wherein a closure flange having an upstanding internally threaded cylindrical neck surrounded by a laterally extending polygonal base is mechanically inserted by means of a punch press operation within a container wall opening from the under surface thereof. A tag ring element is in the same operation secured about the exterior surface of an upwardly drawn neck surrounding the container wall opening. An outward curling of the uppermost end of the flange neck serves to tightly clamp the upwardly drawn container wall opening neck between the flange 'and the tag ring element.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB 9 5 CONTAINER CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION This application is a divisional application of Ser. No. l3l,258, filed Apr. 5, l97l, now US. Pat. No. 3,800,401 entitled Method of Making Container Closure Construction" issued Apr. 2, 1974.

BACKGROUND oF THE INVENTION In the industrial container field, particularly in the fabrication of steel drums, it has long been the practice to mechanically secure a closure flange, for reception of a threaded plug, within an opening formed in a container wall. One method of inserting flanges in container walls has been carried out by a metal working die which forms an opening in the container wall and mechanically inserts the flange in a single operation. In many instances. however. it is desirable to' also include an annular tag ring in the insertion which surrounds the upstanding container wall opening neck and is permanently held in place by the outwardly curled bead at the uppermost end of the-flange neck. One function of such tag ring is to provide an effective means for securing a tag for identifying the container contents. lnmany in= stances tag rings also serve as means for affixing a wire and lead seal which is threaded through the closure plug for tamperproofing purposes. In addition, with the increasing trend toward the use oflighter gage metal in the fabrication of industrial shipping containers, it is advantageous to employ such tag rings for reinforcing the container wall opening neck to meet necessary strength requirements.

l l eretofore, it was thought only possible to include such tag ring by hand feeding in flange insertions carried out in a two-step operation wherein the container wall is perforated and the surrounding container wall opening neck drawn upwardly therearound in a first punch press operation. In the second operation, the flange neck is inserted within the container wall opening from beneath whereby the tag ring could be placed over the container wall opening exteriorally surrounding the opening neck. The upper end ofthe flange neck is then curled outwardly so as to permanently secure the flange and the tag ring to the underlying container wall opening neck. The above described two operation flange insertion arrangement, however, is relatively costly and unsuited for high speed container fabricating processes.

The invention is particularly adaptable to the application of tag ring elements in a single operation flange insertion arrangement This is accomplished by feeding flanges and tag ring elements into a die for insertion within a container wall in a single stroke of the press. More specifically, a flange is fed into the lower half of the die together with the feeding of a tag ring element into the upper half of the die. A container wall is then positioned in the die between the flange and tag ring element. The press is cycled, causing a perforating punch in the upper die to move downwardly through the tag ring element and perforate the container wall. Continued downward movement of the upper die causes a neck to be drawn upwardly about the container wall opening with the tag ring element positioned in overlying concentric relationship about the opening neck. Final closing of the die terms the container wall down over the flange and curls the upper end of the flange neck outwardly about the container wall opening neck and tag ring element, permanently securing the flange and the tag ring element to the container wall.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a new and improved container closure construction.

Another object is to provide a new tag ring element for securement together with a closure flange to a container wall in a single operation.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will in part be obvious and be in part pointed out in the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing drawing proceeding.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a closure flange and a tag ring element flat blank in accordance with the invention as they would appear aligned ready for application about a container opening;

, .!?l9- 2 sflnsnlars a enta y. s t fll iew of the closure construction combination; and;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with a part broken away and shown in section of a completely assembled closure flange, tag ring element and section of container wall.

FIG. I shows a conventional closure flange I comprising a cylindrical neck 2 having an upper unthreaded portion 3 and an internally threaded lower portion 4 surrounded by an octagonal base 5. An annular gasket 6 surrounds the cylindrical neck at the juncture of the threaded lower portion 4 and the flange base 5. The tag ring element 7 is formed as a flat blank having a circular inner free edge 8 bordering a central opening and terminating in outermost octagonal free edge 9. A series of eyelets 10 are formed in the tag ring element 7 adjacent the free edge 9 at the corners of the octagon.

Considering further the finished closure container wall assembly as seen in FIG. 2, after the insertion op eration the container wall is formed with an embossment 92 closely overlying the flange base 5 and terminating in an upwardly formed neck 93 closely surrounding the flange neck 2. The tag ring element 7 is reformed during the flange insertion operation by being made to conform to and closely overlie the underlying container wall neck 93 and the upper surface of the embossment 92 with the tag ring element outer edge 9 formed somewhat downwardly over the periphery of the container wall embossment. It can also be seen how the insertion operation has curled the flange neck portion 3 outwardly and downwardly over the upwardly facing container wall opening edge 91 and the tag ring element inner edge 8, into a tightly closed bead which permanently secures the flange and the tag ring element about the container wall opening with the gasket 6 blocking off any possible leakage path between the flange and the container wall. The cutaway section of FIG. 2 shows the finished tag ring element 7 formed to closely surround the underlying container wall opening neck 93 thus acting as an effective thickening and desirable reinforcement of the container wall neck surrounding the flange. This is particularly advantageous in the case of light gage metal containers where the tag ring element may even be formed from material considerably heavier than the container wall in order to adequately support the inserted flange in the drum neck. It may even be desirable in certain instances to eliminate the container wall opening neck all together and utilize the tag ring neck formed in accordance with the invention as the sole securing neck for securing flanges with respect to container walls.

In the enlarged fragmentary section of FIG. 2, the relationship between the tag ring element 7 and container wall embossment 92 is clearly shown. From this it can be seen that the tag ring free edge 9 is spaced slightly upwardly, as indicated at 94, from the border of the underlying container wall embossment 92. The gap 94 is partially created during the insertion operation by the container wall metal being pulled over the sharp edge of the flange base at a sharper radius than the radius to which the tag ring element outer edge is formed. The gap 94 is also contributed to by a certain amount of vertical spring back which naturally occurs along the edge 9 upon the release of the pressure of the insertion die. The purpose of the gap 94 is to provide accessibility to the tag ring eyelets 10 through which a string or wire can be secured carrying a tag for identifying the container contents. A wire and lead closure seal can also be employed by threading a wire through an eyelet of a closure plug (not shown) threadedly engaged in the flange 1 then threading it through one or more of the eyelets l0 and clinching its ends within a lead seal. The gap 94 normally sufficiently exposes the eyelet 10 for threading ofa thin wire therethrough. If not, the gap provides an easy access point to insert an implement for deflecting the tag ring element edge 9 upwardly to expose the eyelet far enough for the insertion of even a heavier wire through the eyelet l0. Formation of the tag ring element outer edge portion in the manner shown, allows the tag ring element to advantageously perform its intended function without presenting any sharp or protruding metal edges to injure one's hands.

Any hazard attendant to the common practice of wiping off the top of the container around the closure opening is prevented.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and seek to protect by Letter Patent is:

l. A closure container wall combination comprising a closure flange having an upstanding cylindrical neck surrounded by a circumferentially enlarged polygonal base, a container wall overlying said flange base and formed with an opening surrounding said flange neck, an annular tag ring element having an upstanding neck surrounding said flange neck and formed with a circumferentially enlarged polygonal base overlying said container wall, said polygonal flange base and said polygonal tag ring element base being aligned corner for corner and means formed in said tag ring element base for affixing a wire strand thereto.

2. A closure container wall combination as in claim 1, wherein said flange neck and said tag ring element neck are permanently secured to an upwardly drawn container wall opening neck interposed therebetween.

3. A closure container wall combination in claim 1, wherein a raised polygonal embossment is formed in said container wall tightly confining said flange base 4. A closure container wall combination as in claim 3, wherein said tag ring element base extends radially beyond said flange base leaving a gap between the peripheral portions of said container wall embossment and said overlying tag ring element base. 

1. A closure container wall combination comprising a closure flange having an upstanding cylindrical neck surrounded by a circumferentially enlarged polygonal base, a container wall overlying said flange base and formed with an opening surrounding said flange neck, an annular tag ring element having an upstanding neck surrounding said flange neck and formed with a circumferentially enlarged polygonal base overlying said container wall, said polygonal flange base and said polygonal tag ring element base being aligned corner for corner and means formed in said tag ring element base for affixing a wire strand thereto.
 2. A closure container wall combination as in claim 1, wherein said flange neck and said tag ring element neck are permanently secured to an upwardly drawn container wall opening neck interposed therebetween.
 3. A closure container wall combination as in claim 1, wherein a raised polygonal embossment is formed in said container wall tightly confining said flange base.
 4. A closure container wall combination as in claim 3, wherein said tag ring element base extends radially beyond said flange base leaving a gap between the peripheral portions of said container wall embossment and said overlying tag ring element base. 